Set in beautiful parkland, among the hills and lakes of North Westmeath, Tullynally has been the home of the Pakenham family, later Earls of Longford, for over 350 years. The original fortified house was later adapted to comfortable Georgian mansion, then in the early 1800s, expanded to a magnificent Gothick revival castle, now one of the largest houses in Ireland to survive in private hands. The main castle rooms featuring the Great Hall, Library, Dining Room and Drawing Room are available for pre booked group tours only (minimum 20 pax) by arrangement and there are guided tours of the early Victorian kitchens and laundries at 15:00 every Sunday from May–September, giving fascinating insights of “Life below stairs”.

But the main attraction is the beautifully restored gardens, dating from the late 18th century, with terraced lawns, walled flower gardens, romantic woodland walks and two ornamental lakes. These have been enhanced by current owners, Thomas and Valerie Pakenham with pretty summerhouses, each framing a different view, and a wealth of unusual trees and shrubs, many of them collected as seed on plant-hunting expeditions by Thomas himself. There are also Chinese and Tibetan gardens and a large collection of magnolias by the lower lake.

Children will enjoy meeting the family of llamas in the walled garden, and there is a special children’s discovery trail laid throughout the gardens.

Daily admission tickets can be bought at the Castle tearoom in the outer courtyard which is open for refreshments, light lunches or teas. You can sit inside here by the cosy wood burning stove, or enjoy the sun in the loggia outside.